Cat Fecal Matter May Carry Dangerous Parasite Toxoplasma Gondii

Could cat fecal matter be a danger to your health?

It could be, thanks to a hardy parasite that makes its home in cat feces. This problem is why animal experts are calling on a national health campaign to clean up after our beloved felines.

"Nobody wants to talk about it, but our cats are outside pooping all over the place," said Patricia Conrad, a professor of parasitology at UC Davis' School of Veterinary Medicine, via The LA Times. "There's a lot more out there in the environment than any of us would like to think about."

According to Maryland researchers, they calculated that both household and feral cats produce 1.2 million metric tons of cat feces each year. That weighs in at about 12 aircraft carriers of cat poop.

Researchers believe that a small portion of this matter may contain the dormant parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which can potentially infect humans and other warm-blooded animals.

As infections by feces-borne parasites, or oocysts, can cause serious birth defects including deafness and even mental retardation, the authors of the study are urging cat owners to keep their pets in doors and to properly dispose of cat litter by bagging it and sending it to a sanitary landfill with the rest of trash products.

"It should be assumed that the play areas of children, especially sandboxes, are highly infectious unless they have been covered at all times when not in use, or ... are not accessible to cats," the authors wrote, via the study. "It should also be assumed that gardens to which cats have access are infectious, and gardeners should wear gloves and wash their hands after completing gardening....  Fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed."

More information regarding the study can be found in the journal Trends in Parasitology.